Author: Peacock Carter

Please see here for the International Federation of Environmental Health’s December Newsletter

Evonne Bauer, Executive Officer of Place and Community Planning, East Dunbartonshire Council is a Chartered EHO and currently Junior Vice-President of the Institute. Evonne’s contribution discusses the different aspects of local authorities’ response to this pandemic and how EHOs have been recognised as key players in the pandemic response. 

1. Describe your work role with relevance to the pandemic? 

I am Executive Officer of Place and Community Planning, at East Dunbartonshire Council, and manage a strategic portfolio covering a range of council services. My remit includes Community Protection, where the Environmental Health, Trading Standards, Licensing Enforcement and Community Safety teams lie.   A further responsibility is Community Planning which has also been a key area involved in the local authority response to the public health crisis.   

As a positive, and during the COVID pandemic, there has been excellent examples of joint working across a wide range of council teams and with our Community Planning Partners. Partner include the Health & Social Care Partnership (HSCP), Greater Glasgow & Clyde NHS Board Public Health Protection Unit, Police Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue and importantly the Third Sector Interface, communities and volunteer groups. 

2. What have you and your teams been doing since the pandemic started? 

The ‘Shielding’ work stream was the initial local authority response to the pandemic and I led in this work stream for East Dunbartonshire Council, which involved putting into place systems and processes locally, as required by Scottish Government. 

Local authorities proactively contacted and offered support to all our shielding individuals (residents identified by Health Board/ GPs as being the most clinically vulnerable groups in terms of their existing health conditions and status). Those shielding were to remain at home with the aim of minimising their risk of exposure to the virus. Government support was provided in terms of a national assistance phone line, routed to our local call handlers, and the offer included the provision of priority supermarket delivery slots and food boxes for those unable to access shops or receive support from family or friends. 

Importantly, our teams complimented this support with locally developed processes and arrangements and these support streams were further extended to identify ‘vulnerable’ members of our communities, through housing tenants, social work referrals etc. A local food distribution centre was established in a leisure centre offering delivery of food boxes to those identified ‘vulnerable’ but out with shielding categories, and also those not able to pay due to the impact of poverty or unemployment through COVID. Our local authority employees also provided regular social isolation support calls to socially isolated individuals. Across East Dunbartonshire, all support service were effective and very well received. 

Joint working with the third sector interface and local organisations like Citizens Advice Bureau, supported the many council teams involved in this response by providing telephone helplines, shopping assistance and prescription delivery services. 

As well as being part of the aforementioned activities, the Environmental Health and Trading Standards teams, worked alongside our business premises following lockdown, and during the transition to the Strategic Framework. This role is ongoing and includes providing advice and support, as well as enforcing compliance with the appropriate Regulations, and all requirements of the designated levels in hospitality, non-essential retail and close contact services etc. The most significant issues being COVID risk assessments of business operations, physical distancing, cleaning and hygiene including infection control measures.  

EHOs are also working with NHS Board Public Health partners on contact tracing work for cases and contacts. Post return of schools in mid-August, then case liaison with education colleagues on a daily basis involving contract tracing in all schools and early years establishments. Problem Assessment Groups and Incident Management Teams have also been implemented for clusters and outbreak control, as and when required. 

Currently across all local authorities then ‘Test and Protect Support’ work streams are ongoing, whereby those self-isolating locally are pro-actively contacted to ascertain any support needs. There is also assessment of financial needs including Scottish Welfare Fund and crisis grants, as appropriate, and the assessment for the Social Isolation Support grant of £500 for those unable to work and receive income because they or their child’s need to self-isolate. The criteria broadly extends only to those on benefits and universal credit. Similar to East Dunbartonshire, other local authorities have been administrating vouchers or cash payments to those families on the lowest incomes and who would normally receive free school meals/ clothing allowance while children are absent from education self-isolating due to having had close contact with a positive COVID case.

3. Highlight some current challenges? 

Following lockdown, the local authorities produced recovery plans to allow resumption of services within the limits of COVID restrictions and guidance and aligned with risk assessments ensuring employee health and safety. This has involved the gradual re-introduction of services and remits, together with the continuation of the COVID response and support services.  These issues in parallel has a significant impact on resources, and particularly when services have to operate in new and innovative ways, for example, one person per vehicle, limited and controlled access to offices/ depots, and working remotely/ from home, with reliance on less face-to- face and use of online virtual meetings to progress business.

The financial burden impacts of COVID response on all local authorities is a continuing major challenge and one that will feature heavily going forward. This is despite there being access to various grant funding to cover specific services and activities. 

In relation to Environmental Health, Food Standards Scotland have advised during the pandemic period that ministers have provided flexibilities against the Food Law Code of Practice in recognition of the continued efforts of EHOs involved in the response. However, realistically this flexibility is likely to come to end early 2021.   Further, additional duties continue around The Health Protection (Coronavirus)(Restrictions and Requirements)(Local Levels)(Scotland) Regulations 2020, as amended, and as statutory and other service functions are reintroduced, nationally this is causing significant resource pressures on local authority teams. 

Fortunately, local authorities have been provided with Scottish Government temporary grant funding until 31 March 2022, to increase Environmental Health officer resources, and in East Dunbartonshire we are recruiting Public Health COVID Compliance Technical Officers to support the EHO role in compliance checks across local businesses. 

As a challenge it would be remiss not to highlight the national impact of EU Exit from 1 January 2021, and a number of requirements that will be different particularly with regard to importing and exporting. The UK requiring its own food safety legislation and equivalency to EU legislation, and the evidence and supervision required on all food stuffs leaving for Europe as well as checks on imports coming from Europe. The work ahead with Food Standards Scotland on Border Control Posts and Export Health Certificates. The roles for Environmental Health, and for our professional colleagues in Trading Standards, cannot be underestimated. 

4. The immediate future in this pandemic period? 

In the immediate future local authorities will be supporting the Heath Board and our Health and Social Care (HSCP) partners in the roll out of the vaccination programme for COVID.  In particular, the local arrangements and infrastructure organisation around vaccine delivery in the community setting.  

The likely introduction of mass asymptomatic testing centres in local community areas will also be supported by local authority colleagues, through Public Health and Local Resilience Partnerships. Going forward, Environmental Health will be part of this team response and will continue with key public health roles in health protection such as business compliance, contact tracing and infection control.

To finish on a few positives while remaining in the depth of this pandemic. I believe the long-standing professional working relationships with Health Board’s Public Health and the CPHMs on all matters of health protection and outbreak control planning has been key to a successful local response.  

Additionally, the work of the national professional COVID Expert Working Group of EHOs and TSOs to deliver consistent and effective responses and interpretation to the legislation. 

Environmental Health Officers have both locally and nationally increased professional profile as a result of this public health crisis, and their well-developed health protection skills and knowledge are recognised as the key players at a local level and frontline in our communities responding to this pandemic to protect public health.

Shelf-life guidance for vacuum and modified atmosphere packed (VP/MAP) chilled fresh beef, lamb and pork with respect to non-proteolytic Clostridium botulinum has been updated across the UK.

The updated guidance now explains that the 10 day shelf- life rule no longer applies to VP/MAP chilled fresh beef, lamb and pork and that if a food business chooses to apply guidance for these foods then a 13 day maximum shelf-life may be applied.

The update follows last month’s public consultation seeking views on various options to change the previous 10-day maximum shelf-life best practice guidance for these products concluded. 

The decision was taken after an extensive programme of stakeholder engagement and evidence gathering will mean food business operators (FBOs) can set safe and appropriately validated shelf-lives for these specific products in line with their existing food safety management systems, in the same way they already do for other types of food.

Moving away from a ‘one size fits all’ system, the new approach will benefit both consumers and industry, continuing to ensure high food safety standards and reducing unnecessary food waste.

The decision has been taken based on a combination of evidence that includes expert microbiological advice, epidemiological information on the occurrence of botulism, and international data over many years on meat products.  Implemented correctly, these new guidelines will have no negative impact on food safety.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) Head of Food Safety and Standards Policy, Garry Mournian, said:

“The UK has a robust legal framework and the food industry is responsible for ensuring food placed on the market is safe.  Food businesses will be able to follow existing industry guidance to ensure that an appropriate shelf-life is applied to these products, while support will be provided to smaller businesses who may not have this capability by setting a modified 13-day limit.

“We are confident that food businesses throughout the UK will continue to put standards and safety at the heart of everything they do, so consumers can be confident their interests come first.”

Industry representatives on a Joint Food Standards Scotland/Food Standards Agency Industry working group, who have discussed the guidance over the past six months as part of the review process, welcomed the decision.

Martin Morgan, Executive Manager for the Scottish Association of Meat Wholesalers said “This outcome will be welcomed by all our members.  The clear commitment from FSS and FSA to review these controls based on the very latest scientific evidence and expert advice is commendable and an approach we strongly endorse.”

David Lindars, co-chair of the working group and Technical Operations Director of the British Meat Processors Association, said:

“I welcome this decision, which represents modern evidence-based regulation, and has been reached thanks to excellent joined up working between industry and regulator.

“We are confident that this is a proportionate outcome that will benefit consumers and food businesses and help reduce food waste, whilst not compromising food safety.”

The review of the best practice guidance, which aims to reduce the risk of foodborne botulism, found no evidence of outbreaks related to these products globally, and included a report by an Advisory Committee on the Microbiological Safety of Food (ACMSF) subgroup.

“While larger businesses may seek to implement and validate their own shelf-lives for VP/MAP chilled fresh beef, lamb and pork using industry guidance and their own evidence, FSS recognises that small and medium sized food businesses may not have the suitable resources or expertise”.

Therefore, they will be able to use the new ACMSF recommendation for their VP/MAP chilled fresh beef, lamb and pork, should they wish to do so. This means that they can apply a shelf-life of a maximum of 13-days period for these products without further activity to demonstrate the safety in relation to C. botulinum.

This review applies only to VP/MAP chilled fresh beef, lamb and pork without added ingredients or further processing beyond cutting, packing, chilling, freezing and quick-freezing. It does not apply to any beef, lamb or pork that is subject to further processing such as mincing, cooking or mixing with any other ingredients such as herbs, spices or curing salts.

by Calum Melrose, Environmental Health Officer, Glasgow City Council.

Alfa Wholesale Limited at 111 Lancefield Street, Glasgow G3 8HZ who operate as a wholesaler of food and groceries to the catering and retailing sector were successfully prosecuted on 26th November 2020 after an employee fell more than 5 metres through a plasterboard ceiling.

The warehouseman who had been employed for less than three weeks had been involved in retrieving stock from an elevated mezzanine area. Whilst working in this area he stepped onto an adjacent unguarded plasterboard ceiling which he fell through landing on the concrete flooring below. The employee spent seven weeks in hospital after suffering bleeding to the brain and life changing injuries.

The incident occurred on 5th November 2017. Glasgow City Council (Environmental Health) as the Enforcing Authority investigated the circumstances which led to the accident. A report was submitted to the Procurator Fiscal recommending that the company responsible, Alfa Wholesale Limited, be prosecuted for breaches of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974, Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 and the Work at Height Regulations 2005.

Alfa Wholesale Limited pled guilty at Glasgow Sheriff Court to breaching Section 2 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 in that they did not ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health safety and welfare at work of their employee. The Sheriff imposed a fine of £120 000 reduced from £150 000 for an early plea.

The accident was entirely foreseeable. Employees regularly accessed the elevated area to retrieve stock which was stored adjacent to an unguarded fragile ceiling. Although risk assessments had been carried out, they did not identify the risk of falling through the plasterboard.

This was an entirely avoidable accident which has resulted in life- long consequences for the employee.

The UK has left the EU, and the transition period ends on 31 December 2020 which means we will also leave the Single Market and Customs Union. 

From 1 January 2021 a number of requirements will be different from an environmental health perspective mainly food safety.

Below is some information and helpful additional sources of information to help prepare for the end of the EU transition period. 

Transition of EU legislation into UK/Scottish law from 1 January 2021

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) are working with Scottish Ministers and others across the UK, to ensure that whatever happens, there will continue to be effective food and feed laws in place across Scotland. The essential elements of all the current EU law will be kept and the necessary changes will be made to reflect the fact that the UK will no longer be part of the EU.

·       Read more about food and feed law after the end of the transition period.

Importing and Exporting

From 1 January 2021 the process for importing and exporting goods to and from the EU will change.  The UK Government website has guidance which outlines action businesses may need to take:

·       Exporting live animals or animal products

·       Exporting groups of POAO to the EU

·       Guide to importing and exporting goods to the EU

Scottish Government’s EU exit food and drink sector update also has further information to help businesses prepare for the end of the transition period.

You can register to view webinars for exporters of animals and products of animal origin to the EU. Previous webinars are available on YouTube:

·       Export Health Certificates

·       Exporting Products of Animal Origin from Great Britain to the EU

·       Exporting Fish and Fishery Products for Human Consumption from Great Britain to the EU

FSS have been working to make sure we have access to new systems such as the UK’s Imports, Products, Animals, Food, and Feed System (IPAFFS) which replaces the EU TRACES system. In addition, FSS are advising Scottish Ministers on new and existing Border Control Posts (BCP’s).

Export Health Certificates 

From 1 January 2021 businesses will be an EHC to export live animals and animal products to the EU and to move live animals and animal products to Northern Ireland.

EHC’s will be required for all export consignments from Scotland to the EU which contain either Products of Animal Origin (POAO) or Composite Products.

An EHC is an official document confirming consignment information, and attesting that the consignment complies with EU health standards and regulations so that your product(s) can be successfully exported from Scotland to the EU. Without this businesses cannot trade with the EU.

Businesses can apply for EHCs for export from Scotland to the EU using the online service.

Defra has published guidance on Export Health Certification for POAO away from the premises of origin.

Health and ID marks

There will be changes to health and ID mark requirements for POAO produced in the UK and placed on the market in Great Britain and Northern Ireland or exported outside of the UK.  

·       Read FSS guidance about the changes to health and ID marks, including sizing and dimensions.

Registration and Inspection of Fishing Vessels

Legal action is required by fishing vessels owners in Scotland ahead of EU Exit to register their fishing vessels as food businesses, and be inspected by the relevant local authority to enable catch to be exported.

If vessel owners fail to meet this legal requirement by 31 December 2020, their catch will not be permitted for export to the EU from 1 January 2021.

Owners of fishing vessels who intend to export their catch, either directly or indirectly, to any EU Member State after 31 December 2020, must contact their Local Authority (LA) Environmental Health Department to register as a food business with them, and make arrangements to have your vessel/s inspected by LA officers. This letter to all fishing vessel owners in Scotland explains further.

·       Local Authority contact details

Read more about the requirements.

Scottish Government’s EU Exit seafood sector guidance page has more information on preparations for the end of the transition period.

Further advice

Please see the following links for further information. 

PrepareforBrexit.Scot – Brexit planning for businesses in Scotland- this tool helps businesses identify what they can do to prepare their company for business following the end of EU transition period.

MyGov.Scot – Information and guidance to help prepare for EU exit.

European Food Safety Authority has developed a tool to help food business operators decide when to apply the ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date to their products.

The use by date on food is about safety – foods can be eaten until this date but not after. The best before date, sometimes shown as BBE (best before end), is about quality and not safety. The food will be safe to eat after this date but may not be at its best.

The European Commission estimates that up to 10% of the 88 million tonnes of food waste generated annually in the EU is linked to date marking on food products.

Kostas Koutsoumanis, chair of EFSA’s Panel on Biological Hazards, said: “Clear and correct information on packaging and a better understanding and use of date marking on food by all actors can help reduce food waste in the EU, while continuing to ensure food safety. This scientific opinion represents a step forward in this direction.”

The tool is structured as a decision tree with a series of questions to be answered by the food business operators to help them decide whether a ‘use by’ or ‘best before’ date is required. Questions range from whether date marking requirements for a food category are already regulated by legislation, whether a product undergoes any treatment to eliminate hazards, whether it is handled again before packaging, its characteristics and storage conditions.

Experts also reviewed the factors that need to be considered by food business operators to set a shelf-life date – the period of time during which a food will remain safe and/or of a suitable quality for consumption while the packaging is intact and it is stored as instructed.

EFSA’s Panel on Biological Hazards will publish another opinion on this topic in 2021. It will focus on the information given to consumers on storage conditions, time limits for consumption after opening and thawing practices.

Holly Pullan, Environmental Health Officer, Scottish Borders Council has recently become Chair of HASCOG. She discusses how the pandemic has affected her work life and also her personal life.

1.         Describe you work before the pandemic? 

2 years ago, I moved from the North East and began working at Scottish Borders Council in the Food & Health and Safety team.  I worked on district as an EHO working with commercial premises in the Tweedale area. I did a range of routine and reactive food law visits along with health and safety. I really wish that someone had told me that Ken isn’t a person my first few months were spent wondering is Ken a local celebrity. 

I had put my name forward to chair HASCOG as it was our liaison groups turn to hold the torch. Thankfully my wonderful liaison group were very supportive of this idea and didn’t think I would be too horrendous! So, in the second week of March I was mentally preparing myself for my first meeting, to then have the realisation that everything was being cancelled from choir, inspections to HASCOG.

One of my favourite things about working in Scotland before the pandemic was the amazing network of EHOs from liaison groups to update events. I vividly remember the last training course that I was on in January up at Dundee (which is a super cool town.) I had completed my OCV and had met some lovely people. I feel very lucky that when there is a room of EHOs you can guarantee you’ll always have interesting conversations and even better see friends that you haven’t seen in a while.

2.         What have you been doing since the pandemic started? 

Wow that is a huge question! At first, I couldn’t think of anything but when I reflect my career landscape feels different. I guess a good place to start is HASCOG at one point in the summer when sectors started to reopen we held meetings fortnightly. To say that we didn’t have a clue what Teams was this time last year I think we have done very well.

A large portion of my day to day role has been helping businesses with their Covid-19 control measures and responding to complaints from the public about where they felt unsafe. However, I think overall I have been reading legislation and guidance documents over and over again to get my head around the statutory framework that businesses need to adhere to. I’m probably on the Scottish Government guidance website at least once a day….

I’ve also started to learn German as post pandemic steins, lederhosen and Currywurst are calling my fiancé and I. Additionally I have read a ridiculous amount of books as I have found that I really need the escapism from 2020 life.

3.         What are/were the challenges? 

Working through stage fright with HASCOG but in reality, it’s the amazing people involved that helped me through. Especially all the members of the Lothian and Borders Liaison Group. I’ve learnt how to control my nerves and blast some hype tunes before a meeting which I definitely couldn’t do that and do some crazy dancing in the REHIS offices…

On a more practical note businesses based in Scottish Borders any change in legislation or guidance between Scotland and England really impacts them on an operational level so that has been challenging explaining why our businesses needed to do certain things differently to other places in Northumberland. 

I found it hard trying to manage my mental health whilst supporting the various wonderful people in my life. Especially the day to day work on the front line it can be challenging to always find a positive outlook as it can be all consuming and slightly scary at times. However, I have found solace in regular walks in local woods and to keep up my wild swimming means that I have time in my week where I can recharge by batteries like the Duracel bunny.

In the first lockdown working alongside my fiancé who is a teacher was difficult in a small flat where we shared a dining room table. I heard too many arguments about spelling tests and interestingly got very attached to the descriptions of their pets. You’ll be pleased to know that he is back in the classroom and we have moved from a small flat to a house….

4.         Do you think any of these changes will last beyond the pandemic period? 

I genuinely think that the wider conversation about mental health will stay as we have all learnt what non-negotiable self-care routines we need in our lives to survive throughout this year. I love Clear Your Head Scotland and I hope this is always going to be available to us all. 

We have demonstrated that home working works on a large scale and I really hope this becomes normalised as the work life balance has really had an impact on my life. I have gained about 6 hours a week where I would have been commuting and I can now spend this doing my hobbies and activities which is really amazing. 

However, I do hope that in the future I can be in a room with EHOs from around Scotland catching up on life and laughing about the Coronacoaster of 2020. 

My final point to you, is to look after yourself. You can’t keep on giving from an empty cup. Whatever activities make you feel good, make sure that you commit time in your week for them. Finally know your boundaries and remember that life is meant to be treasured. Its normal to have bad days associated with work but we can’t let that make us feel like we have a bad life.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) has today published Self-Assessment tools for food businesses and food retail establishments.

The Self-Assessment tools provide a practical toolkit for food businesses and food retail establishments in maintaining internal audit records to demonstrate ongoing compliance with COVID-19 protective measures. 

Use of these will allow businesses to demonstrate that they are following the measures required and can help in providing assurance to regulators and potentially assist in IMT discussions in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak.

The tools have been developed with regulators, business representatives and trade unions and supports the Scottish Governments COVID-19 Strategic Framework and their COVID-19 Safety and Compliance Programme.

The FSS COVID-19 guidance package has been updated to reflect this publication.

Since 12 December hospitality venues have been allowed to play low level background music and sound. Guidance has been produced to ensure hospitality premises have in place the necessary arrangements for the safe management of low-level background sound.

The Institute of Acoustics have also published a training resource for sound management to support the updated Coronavirus (COVID-19): tourism and hospitality sector guidance.

On 14 August 2020, statutory guidance for the hospitality sector was introduced with the precautionary measure, that there should be no background sound in hospitality premises, including music and audio from televisions.

Following introduction of this measure an expert advisory group was established to look at how low-level background sound might be managed in a COVID safe manner that did not interfere with speech intelligibility or cause increased vocal effort.  

The advisory group, comprising independent and industry acoustic experts, government and environmental health officials, and trade representatives developed the guidance on how this can be achieved.  

Brian Auld, Head of Safe Buildings and Assistant Secretary to the Board for the Church of Scotland General Trustees gives an insight into EHOs working in private practice and non-regulatory roles who continue to drive forward improvements in risk awareness, risk reduction and compliance. 

1.         Describe you work before the pandemic? 

My role as Head of Safe Buildings and Assistant Secretary to the Board is to lead the health and safety and compliance function of the Church of Scotland General Trustees. The General Trustees are the buildings and land arm of the Church of Scotland. We are the owners of over 4000 buildings including Churches, halls, manses and other commercial and domestic buildings. We are the owners of the largest number of historical buildings in Scotland, and the majority of the land that we own is tenanted for agricultural and commercial purposes. 

The vast majority of the Church of Scotland congregations are centred in the community, and our buildings and land are used for a variety of different purposes. This includes regulated child care, education, hospitality, performance arts, healthcare and support services as well as for worship. As well as providing strategic oversight to the board in matters relating to the safe use of church buildings and land, I have operational responsibility for the safe buildings team. The team responds to a demanding case load covering health and safety, food safety, tenancy management, environmental protection, construction and public health. We are also a REHIS registered training centre and provide free community training to our congregations and the wider community relating to food safety, health and safety and risk management. 

2.         What have you been doing since the pandemic started? 

When lockdown was announced in March 2020, we immediately issued instructions and guidance to all congregations relating to the safe closure of their buildings. We issued detailed guidance, risk assessments and operational procedures to over 200 congregations whose buildings remained open to provide essential community services including food banks, key-worker child care provision and local resilience groups. We developed and hosted a number of live webinars relating to infection control and health and safety, and our REHIS Food Safety training was moved entirely online. 

In the second week of April, I led the development and publication of the National Church of Scotland’s reopening of Church Building guidance. This was a substantial document including practical advice to congregations on how to reopen their building safely and undertake Covid-19 risk assessments. The guidance was adopted by other faith-based organisations and we are now just about to publish version 8. 

I convened the Church of Scotland Covid-19 working group in April 2020 with senior representation from across the Church of Scotland family to ensure a consistent, evidence-based and timely response to the pandemic from the national office. 

I was invited to join the Scottish Government’s Faith Leaders Group tasked with the implementation and development of the Scottish Government’s guidance on Places of Worship. This continues to be an excellent avenue to work with Faith Leaders from the many different denominations in Scotland, and liaise directly with both the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, and the National Clinical Director of the Scottish Government. Both the Faith Leaders and Church of Scotland Covid-19 working group continue to meet weekly. 

Over the past 6 months, my focus has been on continuing to develop both local and national guidance relating to Covid-19, ensure that church buildings are reopened and occupied safely, supporting the large variety of activities returning to church buildings, and responding to an ever-increasing case load of enquiries. I have also been working with a number of environmental health departments since the pandemic began to improve their understanding of the Church of Scotland’s approach to Covid-19, and respond to their enquiries around the occupation and use of church buildings. 

3.         What are/were the challenges? 

Many of the challenges that I have faced at the start of the pandemic still remain. The Church of Scotland does not just operate in Scotland, but across the world. It has been challenging trying to keep up with how the pandemic is evolving across the world and to ensure that continually evolving geographical differences in risk factors, legislation, policies and guidance are considered.

Church of Scotland congregations rely on the work of volunteers, many of who fall within the high-risk categories and therefore were required to shield. Not only did this present a practical challenge in terms of looking after our buildings and land, but there was a direct social and emotional impact on our volunteers, church life and the wider community. There continues to be a degree of hardship felt in some congregations relating to some restrictions in places of worship. For example, the prohibition on congregational singing has been difficult alongside the restrictions on how many people can attend worship or community activities. 

However, as an EHO, I know that effective risk communication is pivotal to ensure that the church environment remains safe, and that we have to adapt our communication strategies to ensure that everyone understands the reasons for a particular course of action to reduce the risk of transmission and save lives.

Another challenge has been the evolving nature of both the legislation and government policy around Covid-19. Although congregations operate primarily under the places of worship guidance, church buildings are also used to support a variety of other activities. We have to consider other sector specific guidance relating to hospitality, sport, unregulated and regulated childcare, support services, education, performing arts and events to name a few. When one sector guidance has changed or has been updated, often there has been a significant delay with the other sector guidance being updated. The result is that there have been times when there is conflict and confusion between the different sector guidance and specific policies during the pandemic. This is had significant strategic and operational impact on both the safe buildings team, and the wider Church of Scotland. 

4.         Do you think any of these changes will last beyond the pandemic period? 

I am proud of the role that the environmental health profession has contributed to the Covid-19 response, not only locally but also nationally and internationally. Although the profession has traditionally been centred in local authority activities, those EHOs working in private practice and non-regulatory roles continue to drive forward improvements in risk awareness, risk reduction and compliance. There are a number of significant challenges ahead, including opportunities for those who wish to enter the profession having access to suitable academic and professional training opportunities. The important role of the environmental health workforce has been elevated from being considered as holding a purely regulatory function, to a key influencer in the public health agenda. This momentum must be sustained. Direct environmental health representation both within Government and within relevant national agencies should be increased. We, as members of the Institute, all have a role to play to ensure that the profession use this unique and almost once in a generation opportunity to take a place at the top table; and it is vital not to lose this opportunity.   

The Chief Veterinary Officers for Scotland, England and Wales have introduced new measures to help protect poultry and captive birds. The new housing measures announced on 03 December 2020, are in force from 14 December 2020, and mean it is a legal requirement for all poultry and other captive birds to be housed or otherwise kept separate from wild birds, and for all bird keepers to follow strict biosecurity measures in order to limit the spread of and eradicate the disease. The decision to implement the housing measures from 00:01 am on 14 December 2020, in addition to the current AIPZ measures, has been made in light of evidence from the continent and ongoing high numbers of avian influenza findings among wild bird populations in England. The risk of incursion of avian influenza has been increased to very high for wild birds, medium for poultry with high biosecurity, and high for poultry with poor biosecurity. Further details on the evidence that supported these decisions can be found in our risk assessments.”

For the latest update and all information on the outbreak see here.

Food Standards Scotland have updated its guidance for food business operators (FBOs) and their employees on 7 December. It aims to assist all businesses in the food and drink sector in following government guidance on infection prevention and control measures against COVID-19. It has been produced with input from the food industry and Trade Unions and reflects the most up to date advice from Scottish and UK Government and Health Protection Scotland.

A summary of the changes in the update are as follows:

• Inclusion of cohorting principles. 
• Addition of precautionary measures for delivery drivers of food retail. 
• Addition of face covering exemption card details and where to obtain one. 
• Insertion of details and link to FSS self-assessment audit tools.